Magnetic game apparatus and method of using same



H. R. WAGNER 3,522,945

MAGNETIC GAME APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USING SAME Aug. 4, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 19, 1967 v m A M Mam 6r INVEN TOR. ////VZ x6 WAGA/[E 3440x524? ATTOEA/KKS H. R. WAGNER Aug. 4, 1970 MAGNETIC GAME APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USING SAME Filed June 19, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

HH/VZ E. WAG/1E5 MBY , aw fm A 7 f Ole/1E XS Aug. 4, 1970 H. R. WAGNER 3,522,945

MAGNETIC GAME APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USING SAME Filed June 19, 1967 3 Shgets-Sheet 5 H F5. 6. Q I W ,5 F

. 2 IL: 6i 9 L W i Z 8 l6 3 y /5 i B, 7 32 INVENTOR. f/f/A/Z E. WAG/V52 United States Patent 3,522,945 MAGNETIC GAME APPARATUS AND METHOD OF USING SAME Heinz R. Wagner, Kapfsteig 16, Zurich, Switzerland Filed June 19, 1967, Ser. No. 646,812 Claims priority, applicati6o19 /S6v7vitzerland, Jan. 18, 1967,

Int. Cl. A63f 1/00, 7/01 US. Cl. 273-123 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A game apparatus consisting of a game board having desired indications or patterns thereon. The playing elements comprise a hand-guided magnetic member, a magnetic pushing member and a projectile. The projectile and pushing member move in the same plane and the hand held guide member moves in a parallel plane. The projectile is of a much smaller mass than the pushing member. In use, the small projectile is magnetically attracted to the guide member and then moved to a position near the pushing member by gripping and moving the guide member. As the guide member nears the larger pushing member, the latter is attracted to the former thus causing the pushing member to strike the smaller projectile. Due to the dilferences in mass, the projectile is rapidly driven away from the guide member breaking free of the magnetic field of the guide member.

This invention relates to a method for moving a ferromagnetic member on a plate by use of a permanent magnet, said permanent magnet being guided by hand on or along the plate, or parallel thereto, for playing purposes. Games are known which comprise a housing consisting of a base plate and a transparent cover plate and having ferromagnetic members provided in said housing, which members are picked up by a magnet provided on the cover plate and are then moved to another place on the base plate by the movement of the magnet.

The basic idea of the present invention is to use the attracting or repelling force which is formed upon the approach of a permanent magnet toward a ferromagnetic member in order to move the ferromagnetic member at an increasing speed and to take advantage of the thereby produced kinetic energy of said ferromagnetic member to move a second member used as a projectile. According to the method of the present invention, the ferromagnetic member is used as a pushing member and a second member, which in rolling or sliding engagement on a base plate, is used as a projectile. During use, the permanent magnet approaches the ferromagnetic member in such a way that same is moved by said attracting or repelling force of the magnet causing a direct or indirect push on said second member whereby second member is moved. A permanent magnet is advantageously used as a pushing member because even stronger magnetic forces are then obtained between the hand-guided permanent magnet and said pushing member so that a higher speed of said pushing member is achieved.

Furthermore, ferromagnetic material is advantageously used for the projectile. Said projectile can then be picked up by the permanent magnet and can be spaced at a certain distance away from the pushing member whereby the pushing effect can be started by a slow approach of the permanent magnet (together with the projectile). In this manner a certain direction of movement of the projectile can be achieved.

The details of the invention are discussed hereinbelow with reference to the game apparatus illustrated in the drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a top view of a game apparatus consisting of a flat housing, the cover of which is partly broken away;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view along the line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of another embodiment of the game apparatus consisting of a flat housing;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line IVIV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a pushing member;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of a game apparatus;

FIG. 7 is a still further arrangement according to the invention;

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a side and end elevational view of a still further embodiment.

To carry out the method of the invention, a game apparatus is provided according to the drawings which consists of the following important parts:

A base plate 1 having a smooth upper surface 2, at least one pushing member 3 slideable on said base plate and consisting completely or partially of ferromagnetic or permanent magnetic material, at least one rolling or sliding projectile 7 and at least one hand-guided, rectilinear permanent magnet 5 which can be set up perpendicularly to the plate 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, the polar axis a of the permanent magnet 5 is undirected with the polar axis b of the pushing member in case same has a permanent magnet 12. In this case, the game board or base plate 1 advantageously consists of sheet iron to which the pushing member 3 clings. The game apparatus with the base plate 1 can also be positioned at a slope with respect to the horizontal plane (for example in bed, in a car, or on trips, etc.) or said game apparatus can be hit when in the horizontal position without changing the position of the pushing member. As projectiles, balls 7 are advantageously used and, if necessary, cylindrical or lens-shaped disks 8 or 9, respectively, can also be used, said disks being constructed so that they slide well on the base plate 1 upon being pushed. Said projectiles 7, 8 or 9 are advantageously made of ferromagnetic material.

The pushing member 3 in the illustrated embodiments is a flat cylindrical disk. This disk advantageously forms, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a thin-walled hollow body manufactured of plastic foil or the like 10, 11, said hollow body having arranged therein a core member 12 of ferroor permanent-magnetic material. The diameter D of said hollow body is thereby essentially greater than the diameter D of the core or permanent magnet 12. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the hollow body is advantageously made of two caps 10 and 11, the edges 13 of which are welded or glued together. Since the pushing member 3 rests on the base plate 1 only by a narrow annular surface 14 formed by the edges 13, the frictional resistance is thus reduced.

In this embodiment, the diameter D of the pushing member is essentially greater than the diameter of the projectile 7 and thus a greater exactness in aiming during pushing of the ball 7 is achieved.

In the illustrated embodiments, all playing elements are arranged in a closed flat housing comprising a base plate 1 and a transparent cover plate 15. The permanent magnet 5, the poles of which are N and S, and which magnet is mounted in a hand element 16, is set up on the cover plate 15 at any desired spot as indicated in FIG. 3 at 16' in the area of the projectile 7 (or 8, 9). The permanent magnet 5, 16, together with the projectile 7 attracted thereto, is then brought into the position 16 spaced from the pushing member 3, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The permanent magnet 5 together with the projectile 7 is then slowly moved in direction A toward the pushing member 3, the magnetic poles of which are N and S. At

a predetermined distance, which distance depends on the strength of the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 5, the pushing member 3 is magnetically attracted and moved in direction B whereby the speed of said pushing member 3 increases. The pushing member 3 hits the projectile 7 with a certain kinetic energy and the projectile is shot away in direction B. To increase the energy of the impact, a pushing member 3 is used which has a weight several times larger than the projectile weight. It is possible with the above-described method to direct the projectile in a certain direction, in this case direction B, to any desired target. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, there is a target member 17 provided on the base plate 1, said target member having the shape of a flat disk in the illustrated embodiment. However, said target member can have any desired shape. The target member can thus be shot or moved into a certain field 18 which, for example, can be a football goal. The target member 17, representing the ball, can on the other hand he shot back or moved into the opposing field 19 by the opponent in the abovedescribed manner by means of a second pushing member 3a and a projectile 7.

Said game apparatus can also be constructed as a hunting game, the pushing members 3, 3a each being the hunter and one or several target members 17 being the rabbit or the like which is being shot by the balls 7.

However, members 17 can also be arranged as an obstacle for a projectile 7 by placing said obstacle, for example as a fullback in a football field, in the full-back area as indicated at 20. To change their position, said obstacles are preferably made of ferromagnetic or permanent magnetic material so that said members can be moved by means of a permanent magnet 5, 16.

The game apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 provides several target fields 21 on the base plate 1, said target fields having various members which for example can illustrate fruits of a tree 22. The projectile 7 is moved by means of a permanent magnet toward the pushing member 3 and is then shot away by said pushing member in the above-described manner in a certain target direction. To hold the projectile or the ball 7 in said field, said fields can be provided as recesses in the base plate 1. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, small permanent magnets 23 are provided underneath the base plate 1 for this purpose, whereby each ball rolling over a field 21 is held by the respective permanent magnet 23.

A slab of plastic or the like is provided underneath the base plate 1 to reinforce same as illustrated in FIG. 2, said slab having a closed bottom 24 and a plurality of rectangularly intersecting ribs 25, 26 which form upwardly open compartments. Said compartments are used for the insertion of single permanent magnets 23.

The above-mentioned slab can also be used as a reinforcing plate for the other game apparatuses, for example for the game apparatus of FIGS. 3 and 4. The cover plate is connected to the slab by the edge portion 27 in any desired manner whereby during the placement of the cover plate 15 an edge shoulder 28 of same holds the base plate 1 of the slab.

The base plate 1 is provided with a corresponding paper foil 2 or with a corresponding print for the various apparatuses.

While the hand-guided permanent magnet 5, 16 in the games of FIGS. 1 to 4 is placed onto the cover plate 15 from above, said permanent magnet can also, as illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 6, be placed onto the base plate 1 from below. The pushing member 3 which contains the permanent magnet 12 must be arranged in a reverse position on the base plate 1 so that the north magnetic pole of the magnet 12 is on the bottom as illustrated in FIG. 6. During movement of the permanent magnet 5 together with the projectile 7 in direction C toward the pushing member 3, the afore-described pushing eifect is obtained.

It is possible according to the invention to use not only the attracting magnetic forces as afore-described but also to use the repelling magnetic forces to move a pushing member by the hand-guided permanent magnet.

For this purpose it is possible, according to FIG. 6 for example, to place the permanent magnet, as indicated at 5', on top of the cover plate 15 so that the south magnetic pole of the permanent magnet 12 is on the bottom. Pursuant to a fast movement of the permanent magnet in direction G toward the pushing member 3, said member 3 is actuated in direction G by the repelling magnetic forces of the south magnetic poles of the magnets 5' and 12 facing each other so that the projectile 7 is shot away by the pushing member.

While the projectile in the afore-described embodiments was shot directly by the pushing member, the projectile can also be shot indirectly as schematically indicated in FIG. 7. For example, a two-armed lever 28 can be pivotably mounted on a base plate 1 about an axis 29 arranged perpendicularly to the base plate. One end of said lever has arranged thereon a ferromagnetic memher or a permanent magnet 30 and the other end has arranged thereto the projectile 7 which, if necessary, can also be arranged at 7' on the base plate. When the handguided permanent magnet 16 approaches in direction E, an attracting magnetic force acts on the permanent magnet 30, said force pivots the lever 28 about the axis 29 and pushes the projectile 7 away in direction F.

This invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The method of the invention can be used for games of various types. If necessary, when balls are used as projectiles, guide grooves can be arranged in the base plate for said balls. Moreover, it is also possible to push away several projections at the same time by means of a pushing member.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate another modification of the game apparatus of the invention wherein it is not necessary to have the afore-mentioned cover plate 15. Said cover plate is here replaced by a guide plate 31 mounted to the guide magnet 5, 16, said guide plate preventing an upward tilting of the attracted pushing member 3 during the approaching of the guide magnet in direction A and movement of said pushing member in direction B underneath the magnet 5. Furthermore support legs 32 are advantageously provided on the guide magnet for placement on the base plate 1, said support legs keeping the magnet 5 spaced from the base plate 1 while approaching in direction A so that projectile 7 and pushing member 3 can move freely thereunder.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A game apparatus comprising frame means including a base plate having a smooth upper surface, at least one magnetic pushing member slideable on said base plate for movement in a first plane and comprised at least partially of ferromagnetic or permanent magnetic material, at least one magnetic projectile having a portion positioned and movable within said first plane for movement relative to said base plate and relative to said pushing member, said projectile having an external appearance different from said pushing member, a movable manual guide member for controlling the movement of said pushing member and said projectile, said guide member including a permanent magnet positioned for movement in a second plane spaced from but substantially parallel to said first plane, the polar axes of said permanent magnet and said magnetic pushing member being substantially transverse to said first and second planes, the adjacent poles of said permanent magnet of said guide member and said pushing member being magnetically opposite for creating a magnetic force of attraction between said pushing member and said permanent magnet of said guide member, and said projectile being magnetically attracted to said permanent magnet of said guide member, the relative magnetic and structural characteristics of said pushing member, guide member and projectile being such that movement of said guide projectile to be rapidly driven away from said guide member out of the gripping relationship therebetween in a direction substantially opposite the direction of movement of said guide member.

2. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a ferromagnetic ball is used for the projectile.

3. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pushing member has a weight which is several times greater than the projectile weight.

4. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pushing member has a portion of permanent magnetic material and wherein the base plate is made of sheet iron.

5, A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one further movable member is provided on the plate as a target obstacle for the projectile.

6. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pushing member consists of a fiat cylindrical disk.

7. A game apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the disk is a thin-walled hollow member made of plastic, said hollow member having arranged therein as a core a member of ferromagnetic or permanent magnetic material whereby the diameter of the hollow member is Substantially greater than the diameter of the core.

8. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a ermanent magnet is fixedly mounted adjacent the base plate for holding the projectile.

9. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said frame means comprises a closed fiat housing having said base plate secured thereto and a transparent cover plate positioned over and spaced from the base plate, the projectile and the pushing member being positioned adjacent one surface of said cover plate in the space between the base plate and the cover plate, and the guide member being slideable adjacent the other surface of said cover plate opposite from said base plate.

'10. A game apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the housing includes a slab of plastic mounted underneath the base plate to reinforce same, said slab having a closed bottom and a plurality of intersecting ribs which form rectangular pockets opening in an upward direction.

11. A game apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a permanent magnet is inserted into one of said pockets.

12. A game apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide member includes a guide plate substantially parallel to and spaced from said base plate, said guide plate having a pair of leg members secured thereto and extending from one side thereof with said leg members being in slideable bearing engagement with said base plate for permitting said guide member to be slideably moved relative to said base plate, said legs providing suificient clearance between said guide plate and said base plate for permitting said pushing member and said projectile to be positioned therebetween, and said permanent magnet being positioned adjacent the other side of said guide plate.

13. A method of using the apparatus of claim 1, said method comprising the steps of moving said guide member to a position adjacent said projectile for causing said projectile to be magnetically attracted to and gripped by said guide member;

slowly moving said guide member together with said projectile in a first direction substantially toward said pushing member until said guide member and said projectile are brought to within a certain distance from said pushing member; and

magnetically attracting said pushing member toward said guide member for causing said pushing member to move rapidly toward said guide member whereby said pushing member strikes said projectile and causes same to be driven rapidly away from said guide member out of the gripping relation therebetween in a direction substantially opposite said first direction.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said projectile and said pushing member are movable within said first plane due to the magnetic attraction of said guide member as same is moved in said second plane, said guide member being spaced from said first plane to prevent said projectile and said pushing member from contacting said guide member due to movement of said projectile and said pushing member within said first plane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,492,423 12/ 1949 Gray 27312 9 2,511,774 6/1950 Goldsmith 273-136 2,524,546 10/1950 Sinclair 273118 X 2,665,912 1/1954 Juran 273-118 2,716,028 8/1955 Yaeger 273 2,939,709 6/ 196 0 Verveer 273-119 X 3,214,171 10/1965 Luchsinger 2731 X 3,408,072 10/ 1968 Luchsinger 273--123 X GEORGE I. MARLO, Primary Examiner T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 273106 

